SEPA Direct Debit one-off payments FAQs

Mews PaymentsPayment Options

Note: You need to have a Stripe integration to enable and accept SEPA Direct Debit one-off payments in Mews.

 

SEPA stands for Single Euro Payments Area, and it is a Direct Debit payment method based on a bank transfer between banks within the European area. SEPA Direct Debit operates based on the International Bank Account Number, i.e., IBAN system. It allows easy identification and routing of payments within the SEPA region. It provides cost efficiency, improved processing times, and standardized payment procedures.

 

Customers can select to pay by SEPA through the Mews Booking Engine during the booking process. By doing so, they agree to have the reservation amount debited from their bank account. Mews then registers the payment in the Payments tab of the Customer management screen and assigns the status With the bank.

 

Mews sends a confirmation email to both the property and the customer, informing them that the customer submitted the payment details successfully and that they will get another notification on payment confirmation. The payment confirmation, and therefore the time the bank confirms the transfer of funds to the property account, can take 5-14 business days.

 

In this article, you can find answers to the following frequently asked questions: 

 

A one-off payment, as the name suggests, is a single, non-recurring transaction. Mews uses one-time payments to collect a specific amount from the customer's bank account for a particular purchase or service. 

 
The difference between a SEPA Direct Debit one-off payment and a recurring payment is whether the payment is a single, non-recurring transaction or part of a series of recurring transactions. A one-off payment is for a single instance, while a recurring payment is for repeated, often fixed payments that continue until complete or canceled. 

 
Note: Mews does not support SEPA recurring payments. Mews plans to introduce this functionality soon.

 

Mews labels the status of SEPA transactions in the Payments tab of the Customer management screen. The status labels determine whether properties can or cannot take specific actions. The following rules apply: 

 

  • Mews cannot preauthorize a SEPA transaction as the SEPA scheme does not support the preauthorization model. Mews always initiates the transaction as a Charge.
  • You can cancel a SEPA payment when Mews labels the status With the bank.
  • You can refund a SEPA payment when Mews labels the status Charged.
  • You cannot cancel a SEPA payment when Mews labels the status Charged.

 

During the pilot stage, the Mews Booking Engine payment page displays the SEPA Direct Debit option for one-off payments made during confirmation while the user is on-session. The option appears to customers only when you set the automation policy to Confirmation under the Trigger field when creating your payment policies.

 

Note: When configuring your rate group, you need to set the Offset value to 0. This setting ensures that SEPA payment options are available for use. You can learn more about the general configuration for payment policies here.

 

You can also charge a partial amount of the reservation cost with SEPA. However, the payment is a one-off, and Mews does not secure the rest of the amount by automation. You need to charge the remaining amount at the property manually.  

 

Mews recommends that you configure 100% at confirmation if you want to charge for the total reservation amount. Alternatively, you can charge at the property manually.

 

 

You cannot charge SEPA payments manually from Mews Operations. However, you can take a SEPA payment via the payment request link generated from Mews, the same way it works for card payments. 

Note:

  • Mews includes the SEPA payment method option in the payment request sent to customers only when you set the payment request Expiration date at least 15 days in the future from the creation date. Mews does this to avoid delaying payments for guests leaving your property.
  • The payment confirmation, and therefore the time the bank confirms the transfer of funds to the property account, can take 5-14 business days. 

 

To make SEPA a more guaranteed payment, we are displaying it only if all reservations in the reservation group begin at least 15 days in the future. Note: This does not apply to SEPA payments taken via the payment link generated from Mews.

 

 

For the best customer experience, Mews recommends setting the Payment card input field to Not required for fully or partially paid bookings in the Mews Booking Engine configuration settings. Once configured, Mews prompts the user with a list of available options. The customer can choose to select the SEPA payment method along with other payment types, such as cards or wallets, rather than having to fill in card details first.

 

 

SEPA payment method only supports prices in EUR. 

 

 

Once Mews labels the transaction as Charged or Settled in the Payments tab of the Customer management screen, you can submit a partial or full refund via the usual flow. Refunds can take up to 5 business days to show on the account. The refund period for SEPA Direct Debit is up to 180 days after the original payment. 

 

 

Customers can dispute a payment through their bank on a "no questions asked" basis up to eight weeks after Mews debits their account. Any disputes within this period are automatically honored. There is no chargeback reversal possible. 

 
After eight weeks and up to 13 months, a customer can only dispute payment with their bank if the debit is considered unauthorized. If this occurs, Mews automatically provides the bank with the mandate that the customer approves. This does not guarantee cancellation of the dispute; the bank can still decide that the debit was unauthorized, and the customer is entitled to a refund.  

 
A dispute can also occur if the bank cannot debit the customer's account because of an issue. For example, the account is frozen or has insufficient funds but has already provided the funds to make the charge successful. If this occurs, the bank reclaims the funds in the form of a dispute.  

 
Unlike credit cards, SEPA Direct Debit disputes are final, and there is no process for appeal. If a customer disputes a payment, you must contact them if you want to resolve the situation. If you can come to an arrangement and your customer is willing to return the funds, they must make a new payment. 

Each dispute generally includes the reason for its creation, but this varies from country to country. For example, disputed payments in Germany do not provide additional information for privacy reasons. 

 

 

SEPA is a payment method that doesn't happen in real-time. The customer gives their approval, but their bank must verify and approve the transfer from their account to the property account. This process takes about five and up to 14 days. Mews initially marks a successful submission as With the bank in the Payments tab of the Customer management screen. A payment notification is sent to the customer and the property, informing them that the customer submitted a SEPA payment and that a new notification will follow with the final status.  

 

 

To help manage expectations and planning, here's a typical timeline for SEPA payment statuses: 

  1. With the bank: Expect this status to last 5-8 days. During this period, 

    • the bank is processing the payment. 

    • the bank ensures the prevention of any fraudulent activities. 

    • the customer cannot change the payment method using the same payment link. 

  1. Charged: Once Mews receives confirmation from the guest's bank, we can retrieve the money. At this stage, the transaction changes to the status Charged, and Mews notifies the customer and the property that the payment is successful. 

  1. Settled: After 2-3 days, Mews updates the transaction status to the Settled status when the bank transfers the funds. This transition usually happens immediately after the bank completes its processing, but allow up to 8 days from the initial request. 

Note: The timeline provided is an estimate based on typical processing times. Delays could occur due to bank processing times. 

 

If the transfer fails within the initial 5-8 days and the bank rejects it, Mews updates the status to Failed. 

 

A payment fails due to various issues, including: 

  • Insufficient funds. 

  • A locked account. 

  • A technical error. 

 

Note: For privacy reasons under the General Data Protection Regulation, if the payment status shows as Failed, Mews does not provide a specific reason. Instead, you receive a notification that the payment has not succeeded. You should then contact your customer. 

 

You typically see this status within 2-3 days of initiating the payment. Note: The additional days are due to processing:  

  • One day for sending. 

  • One day for the response and for Mews to receive it. 

 

A notification is sent to the customer and property informing them that the payment has failed and that the property and guest can contact each other. Mews offers the customer the option to pay again via the online check-in link, just like in the card flow.

 

Which countries and territories does Mews not support for SEPA transactions?

Mews does not support SEPA transactions for the following countries and territories:

 

  • AD: Andorra
  • PF: French Polynesia
  • TF: French Southern and Antarctic Lands
  • GI: Gibraltar
  • GB: United Kingdom (Great Britain)
  • GG: Guernsey
  • VA: Vatican City (Holy See)
  • IM: Isle of Man
  • JE: Jersey
  • MC: Monaco
  • NC: New Caledonia
  • BL: Saint Barthélemy
  • PM: Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  • SM: San Marino
  • CH: Switzerland
  • WF: Wallis and Futuna

 

Can the customer pay in the online check-in flow with SEPA if it is 15 days in advance?

Yes, you can make payments via SEPA Direct Debit during the online check-in process, provided it occurs 15 days before the check-in date. 

 

Can the customer pay with SEPA at check-out?

Paying with SEPA Direct Debit at checkout is technically possible. However, the checkout and payment submission must occur 15 days in advance. Note: This scenario is generally impractical since you must finalize the guest's stay and financial transactions well before the departure, which contradicts typical checkout procedures.

 

How does the system display SEPA transactions in the Payment report?

In the Payment report, Mews displays SEPA payments as Direct Debit or SEPA Direct Debit. This categorization helps you identify and manage these transactions within your financial records.

 

How does the system display SEPA payments on the guest bill? Does it say SEPA as the payment method?

On the guest bill, Mews displays the payment method for SEPA transactions as SEPA Direct Debit.


 

You can learn more about the alternative payment method iDeal here.

 

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